Review: Mumford & Sons – Wilder Mind

We are living during a time in music unlike any other. Genres are changing, blending together in piercing combinations that leave us craving for more. As one of the originators of neofolk, Mumford & Sons are well aware of the effect this musical shift has over pop culture. In the past we’ve come to love their steady old-timey feel with hits like “I Will Wait” and “Little Lion Man”. This time, Mumford & Sons are back on the scene with a new kind of twist for their listeners. Although their signature four-part harmonies with raging vocal solos remain throughout their latest album, musically the band lends its undertones to a more alternative rock sound. Don’t expect any furious banjo plucking or foot stomping out of Wilder Mind. Instead, lend your ears to an all-electric confession fueled with a smart combination of thick guitars and spacious keyboards.

Lyrically, the band has taken a step outside the comforts of metaphor, reaching out to listeners with a personal experience. Wilder Mind opens up with a well-known subject for their generation: leaving a hopeless love affair. Mumford’s honesty about a love that never was eases the listener into a vulnerable space, quickly filled by a succession of folk-infused serenades. This shifting feeling continues throughout the album with a climactic climb, reaching the summit quickly on the third track, “The Wolf”. By the title song, Mumford & Sons has listeners’ attention at a chokehold, easing at it slowly with the softer tempo of each track until the echo of the final song, “Hot Gates”, fades away with a mystifying electronic sound.

In the song “Tompkins Square Park” they proclaim: “I never tried to trick you babe, I just tried to work it out… if only things were black and white, cause I just want to hold you tight, without holding back my mind.” Although unexpectedly less hopeful than their previous work, the band’s new direction is nothing for fans to mourn over, as the quartet has successfully brought to light a new spin on their folk roots. Together with producer James Ford, Mumford & Sons offers listeners a memorable dive into a deeper experience than their previous albums. The decision to go electric may come as a shock to their fans from the banjo days, but leaves a resonating mark on the rest of pop music. Mumford & Sons already proved that folk can be cool. Now they’ve come to show us how to take that cool and make it relatable.

 
Written by Marina Laduda

Marina Laduda is a writer by day, singer by night. Her work can be found in a wide array of genres and industries. Founder of her own style blog and travel blog, semi-finalist of The X Factor for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and wacko dog lover, Marina is definitely not one to stay at rest. www.marinaladuda.com

 
Author’s rating for Wilder Mind

Pop Magazine’s official rating for Wilder Mind

Rating key
MASTERPIECE a must-have
SUPERB for heavy rotation
EXCELLENT a great achievement
VERY GOOD a respectable result
GOOD worth checking out
FAIR an average outcome
WEAK not convincing stuff
BAD an underwhelming effort
VERY BAD quite a waste
FAIL a total failure